A Rarity Of A Foalsitter
by SPB
Summary: (Originally published on FimFiction). When Pinkie falls ill, Rarity takes her place as a foalsitter for The Cake Twins, and they take a real shine to her. This makes Pinkie feel like she's been replaced, and it's up Mr. and Mrs. Cake to show her that's not true.


As the rays of Celestia's sun shined through Sugarcube Corner, it seemed as if today would be another fine day in Ponyville. But it was not to be, at least for one occupant.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake were busy in the kitchen, preparing tasty treats for patrons that were part of the daily morning rush. Their twin toddlers weren't up yet, much to the busy parents' relief. They were _definitely_ going to need somepony to watch over their children today, because they were going to be incredibly busy. And as luck would have it, they already had an eager volunteer who they knew could fill that role.

But the pony The Cakes had in mind wasn't awake yet either, and they found this a little odd. Pinkie Pie was usually an early riser, waking up to the crow of the rooster, sometimes even earlier than that. Very rarely did Pinkie like to sleep in, even when she stayed up late.

Something was up, but neither Mr. or Mrs. Cake knew what. However, before they had much of a chance to ponder, there came the familiar sound of hoofsteps making their way down the stairs. In a matter of moments, who should come trotting into the kitchen but an earth pony mare, with a pink coat that was instantly recognizable to all who know the mare it belonged to?

Mr. and Mrs. Cake quickly turned around to greet Pinkie Pie, only to quickly notice that something was not right. Pinkie's face appeared to be bright red in color, stretching from her snout up to her head. Her beautiful blue eyes, normally so full of energy, seemed to have a few bags underneath them. And every few seconds, Pinkie seemed to be sniffling.

"Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Cake." Pinkie greeted in a raspy voice, before she let out a sneeze! Her employers barely ducked under the blast, relieved that it hadn't gotten to any of the baked goods they'd prepared.

"Goodness gracious, Pinkie. You look terrible," Mrs. Cake observed. "Just what in Equestria have you come down with?!"

"It's nothing, just a little bit of hay fever," Pinkie insisted, coughing slightly. "Could I have a tissue please?"

"Tissues are right over there, help yourself." Mr. Cake replied, pointing a hoof to a box of the disposable paper product resting in a nearby corner.

"Thanks a bunch, don't mind if I do." Pinkie commented, hopping over to said box and grabbing a whole bunch of tissues from it! She blew into each of them one by one, each blast sounding like a badly out of tune trumpet.

Mr. and Mrs. Cake looked at themselves and at Pinkie with concern. It didn't take a genius to realize Pinkie was sick, but she didn't seem to notice.

"What?" Pinkie asked The Cakes, confused as to why they were looking at her the way they were.

"Pinkie Pie, just look at yourself! You're as sick as can be!" Mrs. Cake exclaimed, trying her best to emphasize the concern in her voice.

"I'll be fine, it's just hay fever. It happens all the time." Pinkie insisted, coughing again.

"Seems to me like you've come down with a really bad case of it. You're not going anywhere, except back to bed of course!" Mr. Cake said seriously. "We can't have you infecting our customers."

The Cakes expected their young apprentice to protest and put up a fight, as she usually did when she was ill. But much to their surprise, Pinkie didn't bother trying to resist. "Guess it's that obvious, huh?" she said out loud, before sighing. "Fine, I guess I'll just go upstairs and rest. Being sick isn't fun."

"Of course it isn't, dear," Mrs. Cake said sweetly, then she added. "I'll bring up your medicine in a little while, okay?"

"But Mrs. Cake, it tastes horrible!" Pinkie protested, sticking out her tongue.

"I know it does, but it'll help you feel better a lot sooner if you take it." Mrs. Cake encouraged.

"Oh, alright," Pinkie sighed, as she turned around and prepared to make her way back upstairs. But she hadn't gotten far when she suddenly spun back around and asked. "But what about Pound and Pumpkin Cake? Who's going to watch over them, while you're running the store and taking care of me?"

"We'll find somepony else to take your place, somepony the twins are familiar with," Mr. Cake replied. "Probably one of your friends."

Pinkie sighed again, this time in relief. "Good, at least the twins won't be left in the care of a total stranger. I just hope whoever foalsits them does a good job." Pound and Pumpkin Cake had been very well behaved around their parents, and Pinkie. But Pinkie wasn't certain if they'd be as good with somepony else, even if it was a friend of their favorite auntie.

"You just worry about resting and getting better, we'll worry about everything else," Mr. Cake reassured Pinkie. "And remember, if you need anything, just ask."

"Thanks, I'll keep that in mind," Pinkie said with a cough, as she resumed her upward bound journey. Just before she was out of hearing range, Mr. and Mrs. Cake could overhear her saying. "Stupid hay fever!"

* * *

The breakfast rush drew to a close a short time later, by which point Pound and Pumpkin Cake had woken up. Mrs. Cake went upstairs to the nursery, and brought the twins down for breakfast. The foals giggled, as they played with their mother's mane, getting lost in her pink swirls.

As Mrs. Cake strapped them into their highchairs and prepared to feed them, Mr. Cake nervously asked his wife. "Who are we going to find to foalsit the babies on such short notice, honeybun? Remember how last time that happened, everypony we asked was either busy or couldn't do it?"

"I'm sure we'll find somepony, dearie," Mrs. Cake reassured him. "But we'll worry about that after we've fed Pound and Pumpkin Cake breakfast," she then turned her attention to her children, dipping a plastic spoon into a jar of foal food. "Here comes the aeroplane." she cooed, as she began to feed Pumpkin Cake first.

Just then, there came the familiar sound of the jingling bell that announced the arrival of another customer. Since Mrs. Cake was busy with the twins, it fell to Mr. Cake to greet and tend to whoever it was that had arrived.

"Hello, welcome to Sugarcube Corner," Mr. Cake greeted, flashing a bright smile. "What can I get for you today?" It was then that he recognized the customer was Rarity, one of Pinkie's closest friends. "Ah, Rarity, how lovely to see you. What have you come here for today?"

Rarity smiled back at Mr. Cake as she told him. "I was hoping to pick up a batch of cupcakes. Sweetie Belle wants to bring them to school for her classroom party today."

"One batch of cupcakes coming right up!" Mr. Cake happily told Rarity, before he disappeared into the kitchen. He returned shortly with a box full of the delicious dessert. "That'll be ten bits." he said to Rarity. Rarity quickly extracted the necessary amount of bits and gave them to Mr. Cake, who deposited them into the cash register, then pushed the box towards Rarity.

It was now that Rarity noticed something, something that was off about Sugarcube Corner. "Where's Pinkie Pie?" she asked. "She's always up and about by this point, but I haven't seen in her town anywhere, and she's not working the cash register."

"She's sick," Mr. Cake quickly replied. "Seems she's caught a nasty case of hay fever."

"Oh, I see. Poor Pinkie, I hope she feels better soon." Rarity commented, and prepared to turn around and head for the door.

"Actually, now that I think about it, we could use somepony to take her place as a foalsitter for the twins," Mr. Cake went on. "Would you be interested?"

"What? Moi? A foalsitter?!" Rarity exclaimed, as if shocked she was being asked such a question.

"It would only be for a little while, until Pinkie's feeling better. Pound and Pumpkin Cake have met you before." Mr. Cake added.

Rarity paused and remained silent for a moment, as she pondered the offer presented to her. " _True, foals are adorable. But they're also an awful lot of work. Am I really prepared to take on such a responsibility, especially when the foals in question are used to somepony else?_ " But at last she spoke up and much to Mr. Cake's surprise she said. "Oh, what the heck. I want to have foals of my own someday, and this gives me the perfect chance to get some firsthoof experience."

Mr. Cake could barely contain his excitement, as he grabbed Rarity's hoof and shook it fiercely. "Oh thank you, Rarity! Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU! You're a lifesaver!"

"Oh come now, Mr. Cake, there's no need for such exaggeration." Rarity replied, as she tried her best not to look too uncomfortable at having her hoof be shaken at a frenzied rate.

"Seriously though, Rarity. I can't thank you enough for agreeing to do this," Mr. Cake commented, as he ended the hoofshake. "But are you sure you're up to it? Pound and Pumpkin Cake are far from the most well behaved foals."

"Oh, I'm sure they won't be too much trouble," Rarity said with a wink, as she picked up the box of cupcakes with her magic. "Now, I've got to run these cupcakes up to the school yard. But I'll be back shortly, I just need to pick up a few supplies." And with that, she turned and trotted out the door.

"Good news, sugar plum," Mr. Cake smiled, as he approached his wife (who was still feeding the twins). "Rarity has agreed to be our temporary foalsitter, after she picks up a few supplies."

"Are you sure she agreed willingly?" Mrs. Cake asked, remembering that the last time Rarity was offered the chance to foalsit the twins, she had declined (politely of course).

"She most certainly did, I could hardly believe it myself. But she seemed certain they wouldn't be too much trouble," Mr. Cake replied, then he sighed. "I just hope she knows what she's getting into. She may not be a complete stranger to the twins, but they still aren't used to seeing her around a lot. They may try to give her a hard time, just because she's not Pinkie Pie."

"I've raised my children to be better than that, I think they'll get along quite well with Rarity," Mrs. Cake insisted. "Once they get to know her anyway." And with that, she went on feeding the twins, quite unconcerned.

* * *

Rarity was as good as her word, she returned to Sugarcube Corner within the hour. And not surprisingly, she came prepared.

"Hello, Rarity. Thanks again for agreeing to do this on such short notice," Mr. Cake greeted, before his attention was drawn to the saddle bag she had brought with her. "Are those the supplies you said you were going to pick up?" he asked.

"Yes, but they aren't fashion supplies," Rarity replied. "I've brought everything any foalsitter could ever need, and then some! A lady is always prepared for any emergency!"

"Rarity, you didn't need to bring all of that stuff with you. We have plenty of foal supplies as it is," Mr. Cake told the fashionista. "Diapers, foal toys, you name it."

"Oh I don't doubt that, but I've been wondering what to do with Sweetie Belle's old foal supplies for some time now," Rarity explained. "Now, where are the little cuties?"

"They should be upstairs in the nursery, Cup Cake just finished feeding them." Mr. Cake told Rarity.

Rarity smiled. "Then it's off to the nursery I go. I'm sure we'll have the best time together."

"I sure hope so." Mr. Cake said softly, to no one in particular. Although he didn't doubt Rarity's foalsitting skills, he was more than a little concerned his children would need some time to get used to a new foalsitter.

Rarity trotted up to the nursery, a jolly spring in her step. She wasn't normally one to be giddy, but the thought of all the adorable little things she and the twins were going to do together was more than enough to make her excited. " _Pinkie makes it look_ _ **so**_ _easy,_ " she thought to herself. " _If a mare like her can do it, so can I._ "

Rarity stopped outside the door to the nursery, and took a moment to regain her composure. She didn't want to seem overly excited and unintentionally scare the twins. Taking a calming breath (but still having a smile on her face), she pushed open the door to the nursery and trotted inside.

Mrs. Cake was already there, and judging by the faint trace of foal powder on her muzzle, she had just finished a diaper change. She breathed a small sigh of relief when she saw Rarity. "They're all yours, Rarity," she smiled. "But Carrot Cake and I will be right downstairs if you need anything."

"Thank you, I'll keep that in mind. But I shouldn't need your help, Pinkie tells me they're usually fairly well behaved." Rarity replied.

"Oh they are, but they still do like to cause trouble from time to time. So keep a close eye on them." Mrs. Cake cautioned, before she departed the nursery and headed back downstairs.

Now, Rarity was alone with the twins, and it didn't take long for them to notice that their "guest" wasn't who they'd been expecting. "Not Pinkie Pie!" they protested, folding their tiny hooves across their chest in a double pouting motion.

"You're right, sweeties, I'm not Pinkie Pie. Pinkie is regrettably unable to spend time with you two today, but she has come down with the most dreadful case of hay fever and doesn't want to make you two sick as well," Rarity explained, trying her best to give her voice a motherly tone. "Which is why I'm filling in for her for the time being. You can call me Auntie Rarity, Miss. Rarity, or just Rarity."

"No! Want Pinkie Pie!" Pumpkin Cake said angrily, turning her head so that it would not face Rarity.

"Yeah, want Pinkie Pie!" Pound Cake added, joining his sister in turning his back on Rarity.

Rarity tried her best not to get upset, Pound and Pumpkin Cake were only toddlers. They weren't intentionally trying to be mean to her. All the same, Rarity knew she had to do something to get them to accept her. That's when an idea came into her head.

Digging into the saddle bag she'd brought with her, Rarity pulled out an old stuffed bear that Sweetie Belle used to sleep with. Using her magic, the glamorous fashionista made the creature made of cotton come to life and do a little dance. "Hello," the bear said in an overly gruff tone of voice. "I'm Mr. B. as in Bear."

Pound and Pumpkin Cake turned around, amazed at the friend Rarity had brought with her. They were even more amazed at how she was doing it, she wasn't using her hooves at all.

Pound Cake babbled something to Pumpkin, pointing to Rarity's horn and then his sister's own horn.

Whatever her brother was saying, Pumpkin Cake quickly got the intended message. With a little bit of squinting, she was able to get her own horn to spark to life. Her brother cheered, lightly clapping his hooves.

Rarity smiled and cooed. "So, you can still do a bit of magic, huh Pumpkin?" she said through the bear, turning him to Pound Cake and asking. "What can you do, Pound?"

Pound Cake looked across at his sister, who seemed to give him an encouraging nod. Pound Cake then looked back at Mr. B and Rarity, and started trying to flap his wings. At first nothing happened, he just sat in the playpen. But at last, with a great deal of effort, he was able to buzz his wings just enough to hover above the ground.

Unfortunately, the flying and magic show lasted very briefly for the twins. It wasn't long before Pumpkin's horn stopped glowing, and Pound's wings stopped buzzing, causing him to sink back into the padded surface of the playpen with a light thud. For a moment there was silence, before tears began to well up in the twins' eyes.

Rarity realized what was going to happen, and her eyes began to widen. "Oh no no no, please don't cry darlings!" she frantically pleaded, but it was too late to stop the water works. " _Got to think of a way to cheer them up,_ " Rarity thought to herself, desperately trying to rack her brain for a solution. " _How does Pinkie usually get them to stop crying?_ " Then the unicorn remembered something Pinkie had told her once, and if Rarity remembered correctly it had something to do with flour. But it would work for her?

Pound and Pumpkin Cake continued to cry, until suddenly they heard Rarity call out to them. "Look at me!" The twins looked up, and what they saw was enough to make them forget to be sad. Rarity had a bag of flour suspended above her with her magic. Was she actually going to do it?!

" _I can't believe I'm actually doing this._ " Rarity thought to herself, as she dumped the bag of flour over her head, completely coating herself in the powdery substance. This prompted the twins to laugh. Their laughs were enough to drain away Rarity's unhappiness at ruining her beautiful coat, and she had admit she _did_ look pretty funny covered from head to hooves in flour. Plus, it seemed that dumping the sack of flour on her head had netted another positive result, the twins seemed to be much more open to Rarity now. "You know darlings, that actually _is_ pretty funny." she chuckled to herself, as she scooped the twins up (unintentionally getting traces of flour on them in the process).

* * *

Pinkie moaned, as she struggled to find a comfortable position on her bed. "Getting sick isn't fun." she said to herself, as she eyed a stack of discarded tissues that had piled up beside her.

Despite being a floor above, Pinkie could hear the twins excited giggles from the nursery as clear as day. And by all indications, Rarity seemed to be part of the fun. " _Didn't take them long to grow attached to Rarity,_ " Pinkie thought to herself. " _It took the better half of a day for Pound and Pumpkin Cake to do the same with me._ " She knew she shouldn't be jealous of such a thing, but a part of her couldn't help but feel so all the same.

As Pinkie turned in her bed what felt like the one hundredth time since being confined to it, her ears picked up the faint traces of a conversation. And it took only seconds for her to learn the identities of the ponies involved in it.

"Oh my, whatever are you doing? Hey, stop it, I'm not something you can just climb all over," Rarity protested, only for the twins to let out of a series of giggles. Just seconds later, Pinkie could've sworn she heard a light thud. "Oh dear, bested by two little foals," Rarity said with exaggerated worry. "Whatever shall I do?"

"Tickwe Wawity." Pound Cake gurgled to his sister, laughing mischievously.

"Yeah, we tickwe hew." Pumpkin Cake laughed in reply.

"What? Oh no! Please, have mercy!" Rarity pleaded dramatically, only for her words to fall on deaf ears. In a matter of seconds, she was laughing up a storm and her giggles could be heard echoing throughout Sugarcube Corner. The tickle session lasted until at last Rarity regained her composure, no doubt because of the fact that her tormentors had decided she'd suffered enough.

"Oh my, just look at you two. Why, you're both practically covered with flour," Rarity exclaimed (and Pinkie was quite certain she knew how the flour had ended up on the twins). "You two rascals have earned a free bath, and I think I could use one as well. Not to mention a trip to the little fillies room."

"Yay, bath!" The twins cheered, as Pinkie could pick up the faint sound of Rarity's horn lighting up, and the sound of hoofsteps marching out of the nursery, bound for the family bathroom down the hall.

Pinkie's mane and tail deflated a bit. The first time she'd tried to give the twins a bath, they had fought against her and not co-operated. Yet they seemed to be giving Rarity no trouble at all, and were perfectly content to bathe with her. " _They've bonded with Rarity so easily, it's like they don't even miss me. Can I really be replaced so easily?_ " she thought to herself, a noticeable frown forming on her face at the prospect of the twins no longer wanting her around. There were so many things that she would miss out on if that was the case.

And what did that say about her relationship with The Cakes, if their own children could so easily find somepony they admired more than Pinkie? They always said nopony could ever replace her, but did they really mean it?

A very unhappy Pinkie sighed and sniffled again, reaching out for yet another tissue with which to blow her nose. As she did so, her ears picked up the familiar sound of a toilet flush. At first, she thought nothing of it, assuming it was probably just Rarity. But what she heard next made her heart sink:

"See, it's not so scary. The toilet isn't a monster, and pretty soon you two will be old enough to start using it," Rarity told the twins. "Now, just give me a moment to wash my hooves, Then I'll start a nice bubble bath just for the three of us." The twins once again cheered.

" _And just like that, she's already helped Pound and Pumpkin overcome their biggest fear,_ " Pinkie glumly thought. " _Now The Cakes are_ _ **sure**_ _to use her as their go to foalsitter. I truly_ _ **have**_ _been replaced._ " After blowing her nose and discarding the tissue onto the ever growing pile, Pinkie rolled over to the other side of her bed. Lest anypony who entered see her in her unhappy state.

* * *

Pinkie tried in vain to block out the sounds of running water, or the occasional comment or coo Rarity gave to the twins. She soon fell into a state of sadness that not even the sight of Gummy could snap her out of. Still, she would have to be a good sport about it. When The Cakes inevitably informed her of their decision to replace her, she would have to put on the best mask of happiness she could for them.

Just as Rarity and the twins shared bath was drawing to a close (if the sound of the drain plug being removed was anying to go by), there came a knock on Pinkie's bedroom door. "It's open." she called in a raspy voice.

The knob turned ever so slowly, and into the room trotted Mrs. Cake, pushing a tray containing a bottle of medicine and some hot soup. She had also donned a small nurse's cap, no doubt fished out from the twins toy chest. Mrs. Cake pushed the tray towards Pinkie without fanfare, smiling up until she saw that Pinkie wasn't.

"Thanks for the medicine." Pinkie responded, as she consumed a spoonful of the awful tasting liquid. Still, it did the trick and helped to unclog her nostrils (which had been feeling pretty stuffed up). She then quickly downed a spoonful of the hot soup, in order to wash away the taste of the medicine.

"Feeling better?" Mrs. Cake asked kindly, once Pinkie had finished consuming the soup and had lightly pushed the tray aside.

"Not really, but thanks for asking," Pinkie replied, before she turned and coughed once again. When she was certain the coughing spell was over, Pinkie turned back to Mrs. Cake and asked. "So, how long do I have?"

"I beg your pardon?" Mrs. Cake asked in reply, her face briefly working itself into the most confused look it could possibly muster.

"Until you replace me with Rarity as the twins foalsitter," Pinkie explained, her voice still noticeably raspy and stuffy. "It's obvious they love her, and she loves them. They've forgotten about me, and love Rarity with all of their hearts. When were you planning on having Rarity take my place for good? Tomorrow? A week from today?"

"Pinkie, wherever did you get such an outrageous idea?!" Mrs. Cake exclaimed, her mouth dropping open in shock. "Nopony's being replaced!"

"Thanks, Mrs. Cake, but you don't have to lie to me to make me feel better. I know when I'm not wanted." Pinkie glumly replied, by now a noticeable frown had formed on her face.

"What's _this_ all about?" Mr. Cake asked his wife, as he came upon the scene.

"Pinkie here thinks she's being replaced by Rarity as the twins foalsitter, permanently." Mrs. Cake explained.

"And it's true, the twins are absolutely in love with Rarity, and she's head over hooves for them," Pinkie commented. "I've heard everything, and it's obvious who they adore more. Even if they may still like me a little, they like Rarity a lot. And who can blame them, Rarity's had much more experience with foals than I've ever had."

"We're not replacing you with Rarity," Mr. Cake insisted. "Yes. the twins love her. But they love you just as much. They just adjusted so quickly to Rarity because they've seen her with you on several occasions."

"Yet they haven't given her a hard time at all, even though they were lots of trouble for me the first time I looked after them," Pinkie unhappily protested, turning her head away from The Cakes. "Whether you intended it or not, they've replaced me with Rarity in their hearts. You'll see, once I'm better they'll immediately want Rarity back!"

Mrs. Cake sighed. "Pinkie, what's it going to take to get you to realize we're not replacing you? You're like family to us, and Pound and Pumpkin see you as an amazing big sister. They just see Rarity as a good friend of said sister, and so they feel more comfortable around her than they would be with a stranger."

"Besides that, the twins haven't been completely well behaved. Rarity had a hard time getting them to hold still when she was feeding them earlier," Mr. Cake added. "Surely, you heard _that_ , right?"

"I did, but it only lasted for a minute or two, and then Rarity got them to behave perfectly." Pinkie replied.

"Only because she's been using the same method you've used whenever the twins start acting up," Mr. Cake explained. "It's a good thing we have a lot of flour sacks, Rarity's gone through five of them already."

"In fact, Rarity's let us know in no unclear terms that as much as she love the twins, and they love her, they've still caused trouble for her," Mrs. Cake chimed in. "Why do you think Rarity was bathing with them?"

"Because they'd gotten flour on them, and she'd already been covered in it." Pinkie replied flatly.

" _And_ because she was trying to put them down for a nap, but they climbed onto her because they wanted to keep playing," Mr. Cake told Pinkie. "You've always been good at getting the twins to go to sleep."

"Not to mention changing their diapers," Mrs. Cake spoke up, giggling a bit. "I'm not surprised Rarity detests such a thing, and she's expressed her relief that she hasn't had to do it yet."

"So don't you see? You're not being replaced, and we would never dream of doing so." Mr. Cake said sweetly.

"You've always been like family to us, dear," Mrs. Cake added, as Pinkie finally turned her head back around to look at them. "And that's something that will never change, no matter what," Just then, a memory from years ago came back to her. "Do you remember your first night with us, Pinkie?"

"How could I forget? I'd never been off the rock farm before, except when I was with my parents," Pinkie recalled. "You two were willing to take me in just out of the kindness of your hearts."

"And do you remember what I told you, as I helped you to bed?" Mrs. Cake asked.

"You said I was officially part of your family, and always would be. You promised that you'd always love me, and no matter what you would never send me away," Pinkie remembered. "How could I have ever forgotten about that night? It was one of the happiest nights of my life!" Then tears welled up in her eyes as she added. "How could I have ever doubted you and thought you'd replace me?!"

"It's alright, Pinkie. Carrot Cake and I are just glad you remembered now," Mrs. Cake smiled. "So now do you understand? Rarity is filling in for you while you recover, she's certainly not hoping to take your place."

"And even if we offered her such a chance, I don't think she would take it," Mr. Cake added, also smiling. "You'll see. As soon as you're over this nasty case of hay fever, the twins will be very happy to see you again."

"I'll bet they will!" Pinkie said eagerly, momentarily leaping into the air from her bed, before she sneezed and fell back onto it. "But until then, I can rest easy knowing that the twins are in Rarity's capable hooves."

* * *

By the time Luna's moon was shining high in the night sky, Rarity was exhausted. Pound and Pumpkin Cake had kept her busy all day, and it was only now that they had finally stopped (for they had fallen asleep).

" _This is bringing back memories of when Sweetie Belle was a little one._ " Rarity thought to herself, as she used the soft glow of her magic to pull a blanket over the sleeping foals. She then gingerly kissed them on the forehead, before she carefully tiphoofed out of the nursery. Her mane and tail, normally kept in pristine condition, were a bit messy and covered with traces of foal powder (as well as smudges of foal food).

"Thanks again for agreeing to look over the twins," Mr. Cake said softly, shaking Rarity's hoof gently. "They weren't too much trouble, were they?"

"They were pretty well behaved for the most part, but dear Celestia were they a hoofful when they acted up," Rarity whispered. "I must say, I greatly admire Pinkie's ability to keep up with them. I love them to pieces, but sometimes they can make said love hard."

"You don't have to come back and foalsit them tomorrow if you don't want to," Mr. Cake offered. "I'm sure Cup Cake and I could easily find somepony else to do the job until Pinkie gets better."

"Well, even though some parts were less pleasant than others, I truly enjoyed the experience," Rarity said with a genuine smile on her face. "But maybe I could use an extra pair of hooves to help me out next time," then she pondered. "I wonder if Fluttershy or Applejack would be interested in assisting me?"

"We'll ask around tomorrow, and see what they think," Mr. Cake promised. "But thanks for all your help. Cup Cake and I would be glad to pay you for accepting the foalsitting job on such short notice."

"Nonsense darling, you don't need to pay me. I doubt you pay Pinkie for the job," Rarity replied. "I appreciate the offer, but just seeing the smiles on the foals faces was reward enough. Now if you'll excuse me, I shall return to my boutique," a small frown formed on her face as she added. "I hope all this stuff in my mane and tail will wash out." And with that, she departed Sugarcube Corner. " _Pinkie truly_ _ **is**_ _lucky to have two adorable foals, and a loving family like The Cakes. I can see why she loves them so much, and why they love her._ " Rarity thought to herself, as she headed back home.


End file.
